The Diamondbacks locked down a player who quickly has become a key part of their franchise, agreeing to a three-year, $35 million deal with second baseman Aaron Hill.

Hill went from a player General Manager Kevin Towers took a late-season chance on in 2011 to someone who epitomizes the style of play the Diamondbacks would like from all their players.

“He just possesses all those intangibles that you look for in a winning-type ballplayer,” Towers said on a conference call Friday. “It’s not like we’re trying to clone people like Aaron Hill, but if you were to ask me would I take 25 of them? Absolutely.”

Hill is coming off a monster 2012 season in which he hit .302 with 26 home runs, a .360 on-base and .522 slugging. He had one year remaining at $5.5 million on a contract he signed last off-season, and his new deal will cover the 2014-16 seasons.

Given the rising cost of free agency and the limited number of potential free-agent alternatives next off-season, the Diamondbacks were willing to take on the risk of signing a player who still had one year remaining on his contract and who will turn 31 in March, meaning he’ll be 34 by the end of the deal.

And, of course, they really like Hill as a player and person. Towers raved about Hill’s preparation and selflessness, and manager Kirk Gibson has gushed about his hard-nosed style and dedication to winning.

Hill said there was no hesitation in signing a long-term deal.

“Not for me,” he said. “I know for a lot of guys, that’s a big part of today’s game, testing the free-agent market. But for me, I’m in a place I’m in love with. My family is happy. I love the guys. When it comes to something like that in a place where you’re comfortable, I really didn’t think twice about it.”

Hill’s acquisition might rank as the best pickup Towers has made since being hired by the Diamondbacks 2 1// years ago. Towers landed Hill, along with shortstop John McDonald, from the Toronto Blue Jays for second baseman Kelly Johnson in a waiver trade in August 2011.

At the time, Hill was mired in a slump that had lasted more than 1 1// seasons. He hit just .205 with a .665 OPS in 2010 and was batting just .225 when the Diamondbacks acquired him.

But he immediately began to hit again, returning to the form he had showed early in his career with the Blue Jays by hitting .315 for the Diamondbacks the rest of the 2011 season.

Hill said he wished he had an answer for why he suddenly started hitting like he did in 2009, when he posted an .829 OPS with 36 home runs for the Blue Jays. He wondered if a change of scenery and his sudden presence in a playoff atmosphere might have been factors.

“You want to be in a playoff race; that’s why we play,” he said. “I’m sure that had something to do with it.”

Hill will make $11 million in 2014 and $12 million a year in 2015 and 2016.

Barajas on board

The Diamondbacks agreed to terms with free-agent catcher Rod Barajas on a minor-league contract that will pay him $800,000 if he makes the Opening Day roster.

Barajas, 37, who hit .206 with a .625 OPS for Pittsburgh last season, will compete with Wil Nieves for the backup job to Miguel Montero.

Barajas began his pro career with the Diamondbacks, who signed him as a non-drafted free agent in 1996.

He was a member of the Diamondbacks’ 2001 World Series championship team.

FanFest today

The Diamondbacks’ annual FanFest event will take place Saturday at Chase Field from 10:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.CQ

The event, which the club said drew more than 25,000 fans last year, features clubhouse tours, autograph and photo sessions with players and kids clinics with players and coaches.

Nearly every player projected to be on the team’s Opening Day roster is expected to participate.

Posting a comment to our website allows you to join in on the conversation. Share your story and unique perspective with members of the azcentral.com community.

Comments posted via facebook:

► Join the Discussion

azcentral.com has switched to the Facebook comment system on its blogs. Existing blog comments will display, but new comments will only be accepted via the Facebook comment system. To begin commenting, you must be logged into an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. While we welcome you to join conversations, readers are responsible for their comments and abuse of this privilege will not be tolerated. We reserve the right, without warning or notification, to remove comments and block users judged to violate our Terms of Service and Rules of Engagement. Facebook comments FAQ

Join thousands of azcentral.com fans on Facebook and get the day's most popular and talked-about Valley news, sports, entertainment and more - right in your newsfeed. You'll see what others are saying about the hot topics of the day.